The herein disclosed device relates to window shutters. More particularly it relates to a device for the improved control and rotation of louvers mounted in window shutters for control of the light transmission through the window into a room. Such light transmission control is generally accomplished by the louvers being rotationally locatable between an open position substantially perpendicular to the window allowing maximum light transmission and a closed position substantially parallel to the window and overlapping whereby light transmission is minimized.
Conventional window shutters are generally comprised of rectangular hinged panels that are sized to cooperatively engage with the window frames around a window opening. Such panels generally are formed about their perimeter using two vertical members known in the industry as stiles and two horizontal rails communicating with the vertical stiles. Operationally engaged to the panels, is a horizontal array of parallel overlapping louvers that can be rotated on axles or similar rotational attachments to the stiles. Adjustment of the rotational positioning of the louvers is conventionally accomplished by laterally translating a tilt rod which attaches to one front edge of each louver to thereby vertically rotate the louvers in their engagement with the stiles. All louvers so attached to the rod will thus rotate to substantially the same angle in relation to the window when the rod is translated and thus regulate the light transmission into the room through the change in size of the gaps formed between the louvers.
Louvers rotated in this fashion are however, easily rotated out of the desired position by gravity, vibration, or jarring, thus presenting a constant problem in the gaps therebetween becoming too large or too small to yield the desired light transmission into the room. The tilt rods also create a visual obstruction in the center of each panel and obstruct in the cleaning of the louvers by blocking access thereto. Further, even under the best conditions, positioning the louvers to the desired angle is hard to do since it involves the use of the hand and arm to move the tilt rod which can be hard to do especially for the aged or persons without adequate manual dexterity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,658 (Digianni) attempts to solve the problem inherent to rod rotated louvers by using a gear train Which engages the louvers such that the user moves one louver to move them all. However Digianni is still easily moved from proper adjustment by vibration or abrasion and requires the user to grab a louver to adjust the device increasing the likelihood of louvers getting dirty or damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,245 (Bentley) teaches a mechanism for opening and closing louvers which uses a plurality of cables to rotate a plurality of louvers. However, Bentley is complicated to assemble and somewhat unsightly due to the cables which would be easily kinked over long periods of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,272,722 (Morin) discloses a worm gear driven device for rotation of windows. As disclosed however, Morin is not easily constructed due to the need to align worm and communicating gears and also requires the use of yokes and other devices for use.
As such, there is a pressing need for a louver adjustment system that is easily constructed and functions without a great need for adjustment or service. Such a device should provide for the elimination of the conventional and unsightly tilt rod. Such an adjustment system should maintain the louvers in the user desired position and should not be easily affected by gravity, vibration, or jarring. Still further, such a louver adjusting system should be easy to adjust even in minute amounts to provide the optimum amount of light through the gaps between the louvers for the user.
The above problems, and others are overcome by the herein disclosed louver rotation system. As herein described the device allows for rotation of louvers within a shutter panel without the need or use of an exterior tilt rod. Instead, a knob communicating internally with a pair of reciprocating gears through one of the panels stiles, imparts louver rotation when the rotation of the knob translates a pair of elongated geared racks which in turn, communicate that rotation to operatively communicating gears on the louvers.
Once rotated to the desired position, the louvers are maintained by in that position by the herein disclosed device through a number of design factors. First, the louvers all communicate with a pair of the geared racks in a balanced engagement with one rack engaging the gears on the louvers balanced by the force from the other. Additionally, in one preferred embodiment, a clutch or brake mechanism is provided wherein resistance to rotation is imparted by the knob assembly. This clutch type pressure makes the louvers generally resistive to movement since the racks engaging the gears on the louvers are impeded in their translation due to the clutch pressure. However, should the louvers be somehow jarred, slippage will occur in the knob assembly allowing the louvers to rotate and avoiding damage to the system.
Also, the device has no asymmetrical components like the conventional tilt rod, to create downward pull on the louvers. Communication of knob rotation, and movement of all louvers is provided by the two geared racks with double gear faces and diagonal configuration. Additional utility is provided by the double gear and rack design which not only eliminates any possibility of gear slippage, the two racks acting as counter balance to each other thereby provide a means to maintain the louvers in the selected horizontal position by preventing rotation from vibration or gravity.
Further utility in the disclosed device herein is provided by the use of a gear channel insert to house the geared racks which provides for a smoother operation of the racks. Optional connector ends on the geared racks may also be configured to cooperatively engage similar geared racks and thereby allow for the elongation of the geared racks for taller louvered shutters and modular construction of louvered shutters using prefabricated components to assemble the stiles, ends, louvers, and gear mechanism into an operating louvered shutter. Consequently the geared racks can either be manufactured as one piece to fit the specific shutter being made in cooperative engagement with channel inserts also properly sized for that shutter or in standard lengths which can be assembled to fit a desired length of a shutter frame.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention claimed herein to provide a simplified louvered shutter design which is easily operated and adjusted by the user.
It is another object of this invention to supply a louvered shutter system that resists mis-adjustment through the use of balanced components.
It is still another object of this invention to supply a louvered shutter system that will maintain the louvers in the position set by the user with a simple clutch mechanism.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide for the elimination of problems inherent with the tilt rod in a louvered shutter system.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a louvered shutter that is easily cleaned and provides a view through the louvers that is unobstructed by vertical tilt rods.
A further object of this invention is the provision of geared components and channel inserts that may be assembled and provide for modular assembly of shutters.